Heavy spoilers ahead.
When Jenny Han’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” trilogy of books was first adapted by Amazon Prime Video in 2022, fans were already itching to see who Isabel “Belly” Conklin would choose to spend eternity with. The love triangle between Belly and the Fisher Brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah, sparked a heavy debate among fans as they chose teams when each summer rolled around.
After news broke that Han had changed the trilogy’s ending for the series, fans were left speculating how the series would wrap up its story. After three seasons full of trials and tribulations wavering between the two brothers, Belly ultimately chose Conrad in a rewarding climactic scene. With the constant misunderstandings and longing, it all paid off when Belly finally chose what she’s wanted all along, committing her life to her first love.
Most of this season was dedicated to Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding, which was eventually called off because of Conrad’s aching confession to Belly. Belly then runs away from her life in Cousins Beach and moves to Paris to focus on herself. A year flies by, and the series finale picks up with Conrad patiently awaiting Belly outside her Paris apartment.
Jesse Peretz, the director of the final three episodes, eases the audience into a dream-like montage of Belly showing Conrad around the City of Love, backed by a soothing French soundtrack. A standout moment in this montage comes when the pair is in the Louvre as Belly is captivated by the beauty the world and its artists have to offer, while Conrad’s gaze never leaves Belly as he starts to see a different side of the woman he loves. Belly is no longer just the girl he used to spend summers with; she’s a grown, independent woman with a new lease on life.
The series finale’s craft is commendable, with its cinematography perfectly encapsulating Belly and Conrad’s tension and vulnerability with each other. Their time in Paris is reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s 1995 film “Before Sunrise” with the beautiful European scenery, deeper discussions about life and a slow, sweet dance evoking a softer and more intimate side of the show and its characters.
I’ll admit that I was firmly on Team Jeremiah for the first two seasons. I figured Conrad grieving over his dying mother would bring Belly down with him, and what she needed was someone emotionally available who could offer stability. As this season began, I was quick to course-correct and jump ship as I realized Conrad was the right choice all along. I should’ve known that Conrad was the show’s endgame when he was first introduced with Taylor Swift’s “Lover” playing, but I was too naive.
Lola Tung and Christopher Briney’s chemistry as Belly and Conrad is palpable, and while both shine throughout the series, the finale gives them so much to work with, and they delivered. The two shine in the show’s quietest scenes. Their love is felt through their physicality, even if it goes unspoken in these moments. Tung’s emotional transparency and Briney’s subtlety make the young romance feel more grounded and real.
Still, it’s hard not to feel robbed of something more. Their love story is as convoluted as you can get, brimming with starts and stops, miscommunications and yearning.
Belly and Conrad barely got any screentime as an actual couple compared to Belly and Jeremiah. So, if Belly and Conrad were the endgame all along, why dedicate only one true episode to their relationship? Even then, it wasn’t just one regular episode; it was the series finale, and we’re just now seeing the two thrive. The rest of the season’s heavy focus on Belly and Jeremiah ultimately gave Han and the writers zero time to craft a proper ending to Belly and Conrad’s story.
While it’s nice to see Jeremiah do well and achieve some of his culinary aspirations as he sparks a new romance with Denise, it just feels odd that Belly and Conrad weren’t given more screen time beyond the confines of Paris. I would’ve loved to see how the two work as a more mature couple and more sure of each other than ever. With Conrad still in medical school on the other side of the world, how does being with Belly in Paris work with that?
Thankfully, those questions will be answered, as it was announced at the series finale premiere in Paris that the series has a feature film follow-up in the works.
The episode’s credits feature a photobook slideshow of Belly and Conrad spending Christmas in Paris, but why weren’t these scenes actually played out? Their arc in Paris was more about rekindling their love, and I feel lost without seeing what happened after Belly professed her love for Conrad on the train.
The season had its ups and downs, the ups certainly outweighing the downs. However, the charm of its first two seasons felt lost in the final season. Belly and Jeremiah’s wedding plot is too stretched out. Storylines like Taylor’s mom’s salon or Laurel and John getting back together took the spotlight away from the main thrust of the show. The absence of characters like Anika and Agnes throughout was jarring, especially since they could’ve been crucial characters for the arcs of Belly and Conrad.
Belly and Conrad falling in love again was so earned and gratifying, but if the series had ended as intended with this finale, I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little disappointed.
Though the finale delivered a much-desired ending, it still felt incomplete. At least devotees can look forward to the movie that will hopefully put the cherry on top of one of the most successful teen shows of the decade.
